​12 KeyIngredients of a​Great Professional Website

We've reviewed over 1,000 therapist websites to understand the elements that make a great professional site and we bring what we've learned to every website we build.

Simple and Eye-Catching Home PagePeople will view your home page for just a few seconds before they decide whether or not to keep looking further or to go to another page. Our home page designs are intended to get clients to slow down and think, and to engage with you as someone they can turn to for help.

Easy Ways to Contact YouWe strongly encourage to have people contact you by phone, which is why we suggest your phone number appear on every page. We also suggest you have a simple contact form on the page for those clients who are not ready to call you.

Compelling Personal PhotoIn selecting a helping professional, people naturally want someone they can relate to. Your personal photo should be professional, without a distracting background, and should show you with a warm smile looking at the camera. If you don’t have a good personal photo, we can help you get one.

Mobile OptimizedSince over 50% of web searches are done on mobile devices, all our sites are optimized across different platforms. If an edit is necessary, the Previewer found in your Design Dashboard shows how your site looks on both a mobile phone and a computer screen. So you'll be assured any changes you make will look great on all devices.

Powerful ImagesThe Internet is a visual medium. Your HelpingSites website comes with a growing library of images you can use on your site. You can use an image as a header, as a section on your website, or to draw attention to copy on a specific page.

​MediaIf you have any news articles, radio or TV interviews, books, and so on, you will want to feature them on your site. Media is one of the best ways to stand out from the crowd. If you haven’t gotten media attention, we can work with you on getting media exposure.

ResourcesHaving resources on your site will help you be found in search engines and of course will also help the people who visit your website. HelpingSites is the only web design service that includes over 1,000 therapy tools you can put on your site.

Social MediaWhile some professionals are wary about having a social media presence, this is an important way to tell about your practice. Social media is more than just cute babies and cat videos. You can also build a platform which will be an ongoing source of referrals with informative and intelligent posts.

Build Your PlatformYour platform consists of people who are connected to you indirectly and directly. Fans of your professional Facebook page are examples of indirect contacts. Direct contacts include people who subscribe to your newsletter or your blog. Your website should include ways for people to become direct contacts; we encourage you to offer tools from your Between Sessions library as a way to attract people into your web community.

​AnalyticsYour HelpingSites.com website includes easy to understand ways to view how many people are coming to your website and how they got there. We can also install Google Analytics on your website to help you dig deeper into your website’s performance. The best websites are not static, but change constantly to reflect how your community responds to your site.

Great CopyThoughtful writing is an important part of every website. You'll want to be clear about what you offer to clients without using catch-phrases or terms that your clients won't understand. We know that people don't read websites thoroughly, so we'll help you make sure that your words are simple, clear, and placed correctly on your site. ​

Active Blog Your website includes a built in blog, which can be an important part of building your platform. Your blog is easy to use and update. It also is a key piece of how you can be found in search engines.